15 BLACK and WHITE Birds Found in Alabama!
Did you recently see a mystery BLACK and WHITE bird in Alabama?
If so, I’m guessing you are trying to identify the species correctly!
Well, you’re in the right place. Below, you will learn about the different BLACK and WHITE birds found in Alabama. I’ve included high-quality pictures and range maps to help you!
Fortunately, many of the black and white birds listed below visit bird feeders, so you have a great chance of attracting them to your yard. If you’re incredibly fortunate, you may even see one at my bird feeding station right now! I have a LIVE high-definition camera watching my bird feeders 24/7. 🙂
15 BLACK and WHITE birds in Alabama:
#1. White-breasted Nuthatch
- Sitta carolinensis
Identifying Characteristics:
- Both sexes look almost the same.
- Males have a black cap on the top of their heads.
- Females display a lighter, more gray crown.
White-breasted Nuthatches are compact birds with no neck, a short tail, and a long pointy bill. Colorwise, they have distinctive white cheeks and chest, a black back and stripes, and a gray back.
White-breasted Nuthatch Range Map
Look for these grey, black, and white birds in Alabama in deciduous forests. But they adapt well to the presence of humans and are often seen at parks, cemeteries, and wooded backyards visiting bird feeders. Use sunflower seeds, peanuts, suet, safflower seeds, and mealworms to attract nuthatches.
- RELATED: 33 Common BACKYARD Birds in Alabama!
These birds are incredibly vocal AND make distinctive noises that are relatively easy to identify! You are most likely to hear a “yank” call, which is given at any time of year. This loud and distinctive noise is often repeated several times in a row. (Press PLAY to listen below)
#2. Dark-eyed Junco
- Junco hyemalis
Identifying characteristics:
- Smooth and soft-looking slate gray with a white belly.
- Small pale bill, long tail with white outer feathers.
Dark-eyed Juncos are probably the most common black and white birds in Alabama. A recent estimate sets their population around 630 million.
You can easily identify these sparrows by how smooth their feathers look. It appears like they would be as soft as a chinchilla to touch. 🙂
Dark-eyed Junco Range Map
This species is found in pine and mixed-coniferous forests when they breed, but in winter, they are in fields, parks, woodlands, and backyards. Dark-eyed Juncos like to visit feeders in the winter, but ONLY ON THE GROUND, where they consume fallen seeds.
#3. Carolina Chickadee
- Poecile carolinensis
Carolina Chickadees are small birds with a distinctive black cap and bib, pale white cheeks, a gray back, and white underparts. Both males and females look the same.
You should be able to spot these black and white birds in Alabama in deciduous and mixed woodlands and swampy areas. Carolina Chickadees also adapt well to humans and are extremely common in parks and suburban and urban backyards!
Carolina Chickadee Range Map
Like most chickadees, they are intensely curious and intelligent. Try attracting them to your backyard by offering a mixture of sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet. Because of their small size and acrobatic abilities, they can use almost every type of bird feeder.
#4. Northern Mockingbird
- Mimus polyglottos
Identifying Characteristics:
- Medium-sized songbird with a LONG, slender tail.
- Distinctive white wing patches that are visible when in flight.
These black and white birds are hard to miss in Alabama!
First, Northern Mockingbirds LOVE to sing, and they rarely stop. Sometimes they will even sing through the entire night. If this happens to you, it’s advised to keep your windows closed if you want to get any sleep. 🙂
Northern Mockingbird Range Map
In addition, Northern Mockingbirds have bold personalities. For example, it’s common for them to harass other birds by flying slowly around them and then approaching with their wings up, showing off their white wing patches.
They are common in backyards but rarely eat from bird feeders. Nonetheless, I have heard from many people complaining that mockingbirds are scaring away the other birds from their feeders, even though mockingbirds don’t eat from feeders themselves!
#5. Downy Woodpecker
- Dryobates pubescens

Identifying Characteristics:
- A shorter bill that is relatively small compared to other woodpecker species.
- White bellies, with a mostly black back that features streaks and spots of white.
- Male birds have a distinctive red spot on the back of their head.
Downy Woodpeckers are one of the most common black and white birds in Alabama!
Naturally, they are seen in deciduous woods that have a water source nearby. But these birds have adapted well to human development and are commonly observed in suburban backyards, parks, orchards, and cemeteries.
Downy Woodpecker Range Map

Luckily, this black and white species is easy to draw to your backyard. The best foods to use are suet, sunflower seeds, and peanuts (including peanut butter). You may even spot them drinking sugar water from your hummingbird feeders! If you use suet products to attract woodpeckers, use a specialized suet bird feeder.
#6. Hairy Woodpecker
- Dryobates villosus

Identifying Characteristics:
- Their bodies are black and white overall with a long, chisel-like bill.
- Male birds can be identified by a red patch on their heads, which females lack.
These black and white birds are common in Alabama in mature forests, suburban backyards, urban parks, swamps, orchards, and even cemeteries. Appearance-wise, Hairy Woodpeckers have been compared to soldiers, as they have cleanly striped heads and an erect, straight-backed posture while on trees.
Hairy Woodpecker Range Map

Hairy Woodpeckers can be tricky to identify because they look almost identical to Downy Woodpeckers! These two birds are confusing to many people and present a problem when figuring out the correct species.
Here are 3 ways to differentiate Hairy vs. Downy Woodpeckers:

Size:
- Hairy Woodpeckers are larger and measure 9 – 11 inches long, which is about the same size as an American Robin. A Downy is smaller and only measures 6 – 7 inches in length, slightly bigger than a House Sparrow.
Bill:
- Looking at the size of their bills in relation to their head is my FAVORITE way to tell these woodpeckers apart. Downys have a tiny bill, which measures a bit less than half the length of their head, while Hairys have a bill almost the same length as their head.
Outer tail feathers:
- If all else fails, try to get a good look at their outer tail feathers. Hairys will be completely white, while Downys are spotted black.
*Just a warning that almost all species of woodpeckers are black and white. So if the bird you saw was a woodpecker but NOT a Downy or Hairy, check out the below article for additional help.* 🙂
#7. Common Loon
- Gavia immer
Identifying Characteristics:
- Long bodies with a strong, thick, dagger-like bill. They sit low in the water.
- Breeding adults have a black head and a black and white checkerboard back.
- Non-breeding adults are much duller and have a uniformly grayish back and head.
Common Loons are one of my FAVORITE black and white birds in Alabama.
These gorgeous waterbirds are strong and fast swimmers and routinely catch fish in high-speed underwater chases. In fact, they have even adapted solid bones (most bird bones are hollow), which makes it easier to dive since they are less buoyant.
Common Loon Range Map
To help prevent other birds from stealing their food, Common Loons typically swallow their prize while still underwater. And to ensure the slippery fish doesn’t escape once caught, loons have rear-facing projections inside their mouth that sink in and provide a tight grip.
One of my favorite things about these black and white birds is the wonderful, eerie sounds they make. Listen for a repertoire of vocalizations, which all signify something. LISTEN BELOW!

For example, their tremolo calls are used when alarmed. Yodeling is given by males to announce their territories. And their famous haunting wail calls help mated pairs locate each other.
#8. Common Goldeneye
- Bucephala clangula
How to identify:
- Males have a dark green head, a bright yellow eye, and a distinctive white cheek patch. The body is mostly white with a black back and rump.
- Females have a brown head, a short dark bill with a yellow tip at the end, and a pale yellow eye. Look for their white neck collar and grayish bodies.
Common Goldeneyes are expert diving ducks. These birds can stay underwater for up to a minute as they search for their prey, which includes aquatic invertebrates, fish, fish eggs, along with seeds and tubers from submerged vegetation.
Luckily, their population has remained strong and stable. One of their biggest threats is that they are cavity nesters and rely upon forestry practices that don’t cut down dead trees. Many dedicated people have put up nest boxes in their breeding range to help provide more good nesting spots.
Common Goldeneye Range Map
Hunters commonly refer to the Common Goldeneye as the “whistler” because of their wings’ distinctive whistling noises when flying.
*Just a warning that various other ducks in Alabama are black and white, but the Common Goldeneye is the ONLY one on this list. So if the bird you saw was a duck but NOT a Common Goldeneye, check out the below article for additional help.* 🙂
#9. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
- Pheucticus ludovicianus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Stocky birds with a large, triangular bill. About the size of an American Robin.
- Males have black backs and wings, with a distinctive red mark on their white breast.
- Females are heavily streaked with white eyebrows and a pale bill.
These black and white birds are common visitors to feeders in Alabama!
It’s easy to see how these beautiful birds got their name. One look at the males, and you’ll immediately notice the bright red plumage topping their white breasts. On the other hand, females can be difficult to identify, as they look similar to many other brown birds.
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks use their huge triangular bill to crack open sunflower seeds in backyards. I’ve never seen one of them use a tube feeder; I don’t think the perches provide enough space. So instead, the best feeders to attract them are hoppers, platforms, or trays.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak Range Map
Rose-breasted Grosbeak males sing to establish territories and attract females. Unfortunately, when the female shows up, the male sometimes plays hard-to-get, rejecting her for a day or two before finally accepting her as a mate! But to make up for this behavior, they give the females a break and help sit on the nest to keep the eggs warm.
#10. Black-and-White Warbler
- Mniotilta varia
Identifying Characteristics:
- The body coloring is streaked black and white, with black wings and two white wing bars.
Black-and-White Warblers are one of the most striking birds in Alabama!
Their contrasting black and white streaks make them look like they’ve been painted in zebra print. Both males and females have black and white streaks on their heads and white eyebrows with a black bar underneath.
Look for them in mature forests with a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees. Black-and-White Warblers have also been known to live in swampy forests in the southern part of their range.
Like most other warblers, they eat insects and spiders, but they’re unique in how they forage. Instead of picking through leaf litter on the ground, these talented birds walk up and down tree trunks searching for tasty bites in the bark!
#11. Blackpoll Warbler
- Setophaga striata
Identifying Characteristics:
- Their coloring is black, white, and gray.
- A black cap, white cheeks, and gray-barred wings are typical.
The Blackpoll Warbler’s song is so high-pitched it’s sometimes called nature’s hearing test! The fast, chipping song can easily be confused for an insect. It lasts about three seconds and sounds like “tsit tsit TSIT TSIT tsit tsit.”
Blackpoll Warblers travel huge distances between their breeding grounds and their winter habitat for such small birds. They can fly nonstop for up to three days over the ocean to their winter home in South America!
This migration takes a combination of endurance, food stores, and prevailing wind that pushes them toward their destination. It’s truly an incredible feat!
To help this little black and white bird with its annual trip, consider planting native trees or bushes that the warblers can use as a resting and foraging stop.
#12. Loggerhead Shrike
- Lanius ludovicianus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Grey songbird with a chunky black mask.
- Black wings. Prominent white flashes appear during flight.
- Look for their distinctive hooked bill.
Don’t let their small size fool you.
These white, black, and grey birds are lethal predators in Alabama!
Loggerhead Shrikes eat a variety of prey items, including birds, insects, lizards, and small mammals. They are typically found in grasslands, where they hunt by perching themselves on a fence, utility post, or another prominent perch.
Loggerhead Shrike Range Map
They have even adapted to hunting food that is poisonous to other species. A Monarch Butterfly is a great example, which is toxic to most animals due to the milkweed it consumes. But Loggerhead Shrikes don’t care. They will impale the butterfly, then let it sit for a few days before consuming it, which provides time for the poisons to break down!
- RELATED: 17 Ways to Attract MORE Butterflies!
#13. Swallow-tailed Kite
- Elanoides forficatus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Look for the deeply forked black tail and pointed wings flying in the sky.
- Long and slender.
- The white head and underparts contrast with the black back and tail.
These black and white birds are unmistakable when flying over southern Alabama!
First, seeing the large forked tail is a dead giveaway that you’re watching a Swallow-tailed Kite. In addition, these raptors are incredibly acrobatic and perform all sorts of aerial turns, rolls, and dives!
Unfortunately, Swallow-tailed Kites are not in Alabama long. After a few months of raising their young during summer, they migrate back to South America for the winter.
Swallow-tailed Kite Range Map
Interestingly, these black and white birds commonly eat insects that sting! They are known to bring entire wasps’ nests back to their nest for a feast.
#14. Eastern Kingbird
- Tyrannus tyrannus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Medium-sized bird with black head and back.
- White underparts.
- Distinct white-tipped tail.
Look for these black and white birds in Alabama in open areas.
Unfortunately, Eastern Kingbirds aren’t in North America long. Towards the end of summer, these long-distance migrants fly back to South America to spend the winter.
Eastern Kingbird Range Map
Eastern Kingbirds are often observed perching on fence posts, wires, or exposed vegetation as they watch and wait for insects to fly past. Once their prey is seen, they fly out to grab their meal. To swallow large insects whole, kingbirds often have to beat them against their perch to soften them up!
Eastern Kingbirds can be VERY aggressive towards each other and other species when defending their nests and territories. They are known to attack animals much larger than themselves, such as squirrels, hawks, eagles, and crows! In fact, their scientific name Tyrannus means “king or tyrant,” which is how these birds tend to act!
#15. Black-necked Stilt
- Himantopus mexicanus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are black above and white below with white around the eyes.
- They have needle-like bills and rosy pink legs.
These delicate-looking black and white birds favor open habitats in southern Alabama with limited vegetation and shallow water. Black-necked Stilts forage by wading in shallow waters. They typically grab food off the water’s surface with their bill, but they also catch flying insects or chase small fish into the shallows.
During the breeding season, Black-necked Stilts engage in animated courtship displays. Just before mating, the pair will dip their bills in the water and then preen while facing each other. This action becomes very frenzied and involves a lot of splashing. It’s quite a lively display and unmistakable if you spot it!
Nesting stilts sometimes form a ring around an approaching predator, calling loudly, flapping their wings, and leaping up and down in what researchers refer to as a “popcorn display.” This species is even known to act aggressively toward humans, striking from behind with their legs.
Which of these BLACK and WHITE birds have you seen before in Alabama?
Leave a COMMENT below. Make sure you tell us WHERE you saw the bird. 🙂